Art&Seek Jr: 6 Super Summer Camps

We haven’t even seen our first 90 degree day yet, but I bet more than a few parents are out there sweating it. It’s not the temperature that’s bringing on the perspiration–it’s what to do with Junior during the upcoming summer break.

Yep, I know you don’t want to think about it, but like it or not, the lazy-hazy days of summer are just a few short weeks away. While we definitely want the kiddos to relax during summer break, we don’t want them to be so relaxed that all they have to show for the summer is a high score on the XBox.

As my granny use to say, “quit yer frettin’.” There are lots of fun and interesting day camps out there with space still available.

There’s a lot of art going on at Oil and Cotton. Photo: Oil and Cotton

Keep the creative juices going this summer with one of Oil and Cotton‘s sensational summer art camps. There’s something for just about every age group and interest, but my favorite is the Stars at Night Camp. Kids 4-12 can apply an artist’s eye to the big and bright stars in this “Texistentialism” art camp. They’ll explore space in a spacecraft collage, invent an alien life form cartoon and sculpture, create constellation paintings, make ‘Star Wars’ characters and masks, and take a look at two Texas artists whose work is space-themed – Matt Cusick’s Constellation and Esther Pearl Watkins’ UFO inspired paintings. This 5-day camp happens June 27- July 1 and are half day, but you can register for both morning and afternoon sessions and stay from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

photo: shutterstock.com

Mini Mozarts interested in creating their own music will want to check out Musik in School‘s Introduction to Music Composition Camp. Kids will create their own original score using a variety of techniques, instruments and games. This 4-day/8 hour camp runs June 27-30 or August 1-5. Campers should have a general understanding of how to read sheet music.

Don’t ask me how it’s possible, but the Nasher Sculpture Center still has a few openings for its Nasher Kids Camp. This year from June 6-10 it’s all about space as campers in 1st through 5th grade discover how artists balance, suspend, and install shapes in space. They’ll learn about the sculpture at the garden and the methods and materials used to create the works through stories, games and hands-on art projects. The Nasher camps are very popular, so if you’re interested you’d better act quickly.

It’s all about space at the Nasher Kids Camp. Photo: Nasher Sculpture Center

Aspiring engineers can design and build their own architectural wonder at Lakewood Conservatory of Fine Art‘s Engineering Camp. At this 5-day camp kids 6 to 10 can create their own unique design and then construct a unique model building. The structures are done with paper, but instructors introduce kids to different kinds of building materials and explains the basic rules of building. This half-day camp runs from June 20-24.

Everyone’s a star at Teatro Dallas’ summer theater camp. Photo: Teatro Dallas

Got a kid age 6 to 14 that’s been bitten by the acting bug? Teatro Dallas is offering a 5-week Children’s Theater Camp (that’s right, 5 weeks!) that covers all aspects of a theatrical production. Kids will learn everything from building props and applying make-up to acting and music. The program culminates with a full production that includes three performances. The camp is bilingual and runs from June 6 to July 8.

Looking for something a little different for your STEM kid? Try one of the Eagle Aviation Camps at the American Airlines C.R. Smith Flight Museum. Kids in 5th through 9th grade will meet aviation professionals, tour facilities, perform experiments and activities and learn what it takes to be an aviator. Younger campers get to do STEM engineering challenges and perform flight tests; and older kids receive extended lessons on airplane design , engineering, and flight simulator missions. These week-long, all day camps are a great value at just $200-$250 a week. You can sign up for either the week of June 20 or June 27.